Raw Kale, Cabbage, and Brussels Sprouts Salad

adorable place settings at our second Thanksgiving dinner

a beautifully hosted dinner with my boys

We have so much to be thankful for that we celebrated two Thanksgiving dinners this year. I love everything about Thanksgiving – the focus on gratitude, the gathering together, the copious amount of delicious food. I made the Raw Swiss Chard, Cabbage, and Brussels Sprout Salad from this month’s Martha Stewart Living for our first Thanksgiving dinner, and it was so simple and satisfying that it’s been my go-to salad for this entire season. The recipe below makes about 4 or 5 servings, with enough dressing for double the salad. I refrigerate the remainder of the dressing and use it for the second batch of salad. The salad keeps well, and now that I think of it, would be great with some dried tart cherries or cranberries thrown in. I have some in my fridge right now and plan on having it for lunch tomorrow with a side of quinoa and sautéed onions, topped with a fried egg.



(Mostly) Raw Kale, Cabbage, and Brussels Sprout Salad
adapted from Martha Stewart Living, December 2014 issue

• 1/2 head Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 stalk brussels sprouts, removed from the stalk and sliced in half if large
• 1/2 bunch of kale, stemmed and thinly sliced (or Swiss chard if you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (I used Tamari)
• about 1/4 cup black truffle olive oil  (from Trader Joe’s)
• about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ounce Pecorino Romano, shaved or grated (optional)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1. Combine the greens in a large bowl. Toss with the sugar and half a teaspoon of salt. I would add a little more sugar if you are using Swiss chard. Let the greens sit in the fridge or on the counter while you roast the brussels sprouts.
2. The original recipe calls for the brussels sprouts raw (trimmed and sliced thin), but I like them roasted. Toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast on a pan for about half an hour at 425 degrees, giving them a stir halfway through for more even roasting. While they are roasting you can toast the walnuts stovetop in a pan.  Let the brussels sprouts cool a bit then add them to the greens.
3. Make the dressing. In a small jar, combine the vinegar, mustard, soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of salt. Slowly whisk in the oil. Use about half a cup of oil combined. I love the flavor that the black truffle olive oil adds, so I use that in combination with regular olive oil. Give it a good shake. Toss the greens with about half the dressing, adding the cheese and the walnuts. You can refrigerate it for up to an hour before serving, but I dished it out right away with an extra grating of cheese.